Image Source: Square Enix

How to Download & Install ACT in FFXIV

There aren’t all that many mods you can choose from if you’re playing Final Fantasy XIV, but there are some that can come in very handy if you’re planning on playing it long-term. Here’s everything you need to know about downloading the Advanced Combat Tracker (ACT) mod in FFXIV.

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FFXIV ACT Download and Installation Guide

If you’ve never used mods in FFXIV before, just downloading and installing ACT can feel a little daunting, even if it’s considered a pretty lightweight mod. We’ll go over the process step-by-step down below:

  1. Head to the ACT website and click on the Download tab.
  2. Select Advanced Combat Tracker – Setup and download it.
  3. Run the ACTv2-Setup .exe file. Install it, then close the program to complete the installation.
  4. Once installed, right-click ACT and select “Run as administrator” and select Yes if you get a UAC prompt.
  5. Make sure you have ACT under your firewall exceptions. Open the Control Panel and select System and Security, then select Windows Defender Firewall.
  6. Select “Allow an app through Windows Firewall.” Click on Change Settings, Allow Another App, then click on Browse and select the ACT installation folder. The default location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Advanced Combat Tracker.
  7. In the folder itself, open the Advanced Combat Tracker application, then add it to your firewall exceptions.

FFXIV Act Configuration

After that, run ACT on your PC and check the Parsing Plugin tab and ensure that FFXIV Parsing Plugin has been selected from the dropdown menu. Click on the Download/Enable Plugin button, and you’re good to go.

Once that’s done, click Next, then select Yes to confirm that you’re using ACT for FFXIV. Finally, go to the Plugin Listing section, click on Get Plugins, then select [FFXIV+others] Overlay Plugin and click on Download and Enable. Reset the application, and you should be able to start viewing your overlays in-game.

And that’s pretty much it! From now on, whenever you’re in combat in FFXIV, you’ll be able to track your own damage stats, as well as the stats of other members in your party.

Can You Get Banned for Using ACT?

It’s important to note that modding FFXIV in any way is actually against the Terms of Service and could get you banned from playing the game. However, Square Enix isn’t going to actively seek out and clamp down on players using it. The only thing you need to be careful about is revealing to other players that you’re using ACT.

For instance, if you reveal that you’re able to see another player’s DPS and tell them how they’re doing, that player can actually report you and potentially get your account suspended. As long as you’re using ACT discreetly, you should be fine.

And that’s everything you need to know about downloading and installing ACT in FFXIV.


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Author
Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing is a History undergrad from the National University of Singapore. She started playing video games in 1996 when her dad introduced her to Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil -- and the rest, as they say, is history. When she's not obsessing over Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore theories, you can find her singing along loudly and badly to Taylor Swift's latest bops. Formerly the Reviews Editor at Twinfinite, she joined the Escapist team in 2024. You can reach her at [email protected].